


A Better Elderberry

by pillarbox



Series: Ficlet Instruments 2019 [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Potions Accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 12:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20724077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pillarbox/pseuds/pillarbox
Summary: "I am aware that I'm purple.  Thank you, Alexander."Or, Magnus's potion literally blows up in his face.





	A Better Elderberry

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> **Prompt:**
> 
> "I regret nothing."

"I regret nothing."

"You sure about that?"

"Yep." Magnus pops the p because he knows it's annoying. Honestly, he's a bit annoyed with himself but he's not going to go and do something ridiculous like admit it.

"Okay." There's that disbelieving raised eyebrow. And there's Alec's hand waving in his general direction. It truly is amazing how he can't talk without hand gestures. "Because you're-"

"I am aware that I'm purple. Thank you, Alexander," Magnus says. "Be a dear and fetch a cloth, would you?"

Alec dutifully goes and fetches a cloth, and he's kind enough to go get the specially-made honeysuckle soap too. He sets both on the kitchen counter for a brief moment, and then, having decided something or other, he immediately starts pouring soap onto the cloth. He adds water and works up a lather, and he's already dabbing it on Magnus's face before Magnus can even think to move away.

"What were you trying to do?" Alec asks, his voice soft. He's started at Magnus's temples and not his forehead like Magnus thought he might, and Magnus won't pretend that his touch, gentle but firm, doesn't feel amazing. He can sense some of the tension he'd been holding onto leave his body.

"Trying to make a better elderberry syrup," he says, closing his eyes. "Flu season is upon us, and there's research showing that elderberry syrup can help to lessen the effects. I wanted to make one I knew for certain would work but-"

"It literally blew up in your face," Alec finishes for him. There's a hint of a smile in his voice, but he doesn't sound like he's judging, and Magnus relaxes a little more. "So why not use magic for something as simple as the flu? That'd work, right?"

"Well not everyone is a warlock, sadly," Magnus says, and Alec snorts out a laugh as he's moving the cloth down Magnus's jawline. "And even if they were, they're not all Catarina and myself, capable of healing with a snap and a wave of the hand."

"Didn't realize there were different warlock specialties," Alec says. "I thought you could all do all kinds of magic."

"Oh gracious no," Magnus says. Alec's going up the other side of his face with the cloth now, and he's so slow and careful with it that Magnus has to fight down a shiver. "Ragnor's quite hopeless in that department, I assure you. Amazing with dimensional magic, I will say, but not so good with healing."

"This for him, then?" Alec asks, and Magnus gives a non-committal shrug.

"Could be for anyone stubborn enough not to take time off when they're not well," Magnus says, opening his eyes and giving Alec a knowing look.

"Good thing there's no one here that answers to that description," Alec says, swiping his thumb across Magnus's cheek, and Magnus can't help but smile as Alec's guiding him into a kiss.

Turns out he really does regret nothing. Not if it gets him this.


End file.
